In September 2023, PRC successfully rescued 9 children from trafficking and exploitation, and in collaboration with partnering agencies and law enforcement, had 2 predators/traffickers arrested.
News from PRC Uganda
On the 11th of September Samantha Faiers, Michael Fish and Kelly Allison visited PRC and our partner organisation ‘Make A Child Smile’ to gain an in-depth understanding of the issue of child trafficking, exploitation, and sacrifice. It is crucial for those who raise awareness and advocate for PRC to comprehend the underlying causes behind these horrific acts against children.
During their visit, they initiated a fundraising campaign aimed at supporting the construction of our planned child rescue, rehabilitation, and medical centre. Remarkably, within a span of 36 hours, generous donors contributed £135,000 toward this cause.
Recently, our architect submitted the building plans to the district authority department for approval. Once granted, we estimate that it will take seven to eight months to complete the construction. As we have done in the past with our previous projects such as building rescue centres and schools, we will maintain transparency by keeping you informed throughout the entire process.
Our centre’s medical facility will be open to all children in the community and run by qualified local Ugandan doctors and nurse volunteers. The centre will house child survivors whom we rescue from child trafficking, exploitation and sacrificing.
Just like all our fully funded initiatives, the success of our endeavours relies heavily on the contributions of individuals like you. PRC is one of few in the world that is a 100% non-profit organisation that does not offer salaries or financial benefits to its members and volunteers. We dedicate ourselves to the welfare of the children, not personal gain.
Successful PRC Uganda Child Rescue cases:
We are pleased to announce that, following a thorough investigation within Uganda spanning five months, we can now disclose the details of a successful rescue and arrest in a child trafficking case.
Five children, four of whom are siblings, were abducted and trafficked from Uganda to Rwanda earlier this year in 2023. Following initial reports with incorrect information, our organisation collaborated closely with the trafficking detectives in Uganda to gather intelligence that ultimately led the investigation to Rwanda.
In early September, we successfully located the five children; however, the primary trafficker managed to escape. Thankfully, over the weekend, the Ugandan police apprehended the trafficker and currently have them in custody for further interrogation.
We are glad to report that the five children (pictured for transparency) are now safe and reunited with their family, who have no connection to this horrifying case. Our organisation, in conjunction with these efforts, is now providing comprehensive aftercare support, including the provision of aftercare packs you donate for the children.
We remain steadfast in our commitment to combat child trafficking and exploitation on a global scale, fostering cooperation with like-minded law enforcement agencies.
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Additionally, we are also pleased to announce another successful interception and rescue of four children following a four-month operation in collaboration with the law enforcement agencies of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Rwanda.
Our involvement in this mission began when we received a tip from a trafficker apprehended during a previous UNHCR rescue operation in Kenya in 2023. This informant disclosed the existence of a child trafficking syndicate operating in central Africa, specifically targeting boys to be used as soldiers.
Through a meticulous and perilous infiltration of the Ugandan traffickers, we were able to gather crucial intelligence regarding a potential method used to transport these boys across the country and into the DRC.
Acting swiftly and ensuring the safety of everyone involved, we successfully intercepted a bus and discovered the boys on board.
One trafficker has been apprehended as part of an ongoing investigation. The boys are currently receiving care from the PRC and our partner organisations. Efforts are underway to identify their identities and locate any possible family members they may have.
Thousands of children are recruited and used in armed conflicts across the world. Between 2005 and 2020, more than 93,000 children were verified as recruited and used by parties to conflict, although the actual number of cases is believed to be much higher.
About 40% of child soldiers are girls, who are often used as sex slaves and taken as “wives” by male fighters.
News from PRC The Gambia
September was a big month in The Gambia with our PRC Gambian Education team running their first community rural child safety education workshop, as well as two school workshops. September also saw our International Director of Education, Natalie London and PRC building manager, Dane London, return to The Gambia to oversee the launch of our child safety workshop alongside the Basic & Secondary Education school curriculum.
PRC Director Natalie London, Education Manager Therese Loppy and team, attended a meeting at The Gambia Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to discuss with the Director of Curriculum the upcoming implementation of our PRC child safety workshop.
PRC is proud to confirm that in partnership with the Ministry through the Directorate of Curriculum schools throughout The Gambia this 2023 and 2024 will be teaching students the PRC ‘Be Brave’ workshop educating students about grooming, paedophilia, online and everyday safety, as well as teaching how victims can safely speak out.
We will continue to work alongside the ministry to receive feedback from teachers and students to consistently improve the workshop, implementing games, role play and activities to ensure the students are learning effectively.
Our free PRC Child Helpline number 116 will also be known in every school. PRC has, additionally, been invited by the ministry to potentially work alongside other community ministry programs that are working with children who don’t currently attend school. Due to the strength and positive reputation of our PRC team, PRC is being offered many opportunities to educate children, students, parents and teachers on child safety.
This Saturday, our team will run the first rural community child safety workshop in a local village. We look forward to sharing more information about this with you all soon.
PRC Gambia Rural Workshop
We are proud to share that our Gambia team also ran their first rural community child safety workshop with children outside of the school system. Our PRC team spoke with the Alkalo’s (village chiefs) in the days prior to our workshop and gained permission to enter the village and teach both the parents and the children about grooming, exploitation, everyday safety and ways to keep themselves safe and report any cases via our free child helpline 116 📞
This community workshop was a success and it also gave our Gambia education team a great idea of what works really well, and what more we can do next time to ensure this information is influential and easily remembered.
The team worked very well together; speaking, teaching, laughing, singing and dancing with the kids whilst also speaking face to face with parents and adults who were onlooking and eager to learn.
PRC aims to additionally focus on teaching parents and elders, so they can continue repeating child safety tips and awareness to their children for days/months/years after the PRC workshop.
Our ‘Be Brave’ workshop launches with the school curriculum this September and will be taught by teachers and PRC representatives throughout the wider Gambia. Our intention with this community/rural workshop is to ensure that children who do not attend school are also being educated, protected, seen and heard.
We are very honoured to have a great team of volunteers who are dedicated to PRC’s mission and purpose, and committed to ensuring the safety of all children.
During September, our Gambia Education managers alongside our PRC Director and Building Manager additionally met over dinner with the Principal Education Officer in the Gambia curriculum, Education Officer for Agriculture, Head of Civic Education who all work in the head office of the Director of Curriculum.
The meeting was highly productive as they discussed the potential expansion of PRC's education workshop beyond the approved curriculum.
We will soon be announcing the inaugural Child Safety Workshop for homeschooling communities in Australia, followed shortly by the United Kingdom. In due course, this workshop will also be made available online through our upcoming website launch.
Exciting developments are currently underway at PRC including further expansion, and we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your invaluable support in our mission to protect and aid children.
With the help of your generous donations, PRC Gambia was also able to give many items of clothing, toys and activities to children living within slum areas and also within regional villages. We are proud to have many caring supporters who see the importance of not only education, protecting, rescuing and rehabilitating children but also giving kids a reason to feel joyful and seen. You can find many of these efforts shared on our PRC social media pages for transparency.
News from PRC Philippines
This September, PRC Philippines had the honour of receiving an invitation from the ABSNET group, which comprises NGOs, shelters, DSWD, and various government agencies in Tarlac. The purpose of the invitation was to attend a planting ceremony that aimed to unite all those contributing to the well-being of children.
At PRC, we recognize the significance of collaborating with shelters and NGOs that are genuinely making a difference in the lives of children. It is crucial for us to establish strong partnerships and cooperate with other organisations to maximise our impact on as many children as possible.
Currently, we are in discussions with a local remote indigenous village to initiate a food distribution program, and our child safety awareness workshop ensures that the community has access to essential resources.
We extend our gratitude to the individuals and organisations listed below for their dedicated work with children, and we eagerly anticipate building a robust and productive working relationship with them in the future:
1. Amelia Tuquero - Rehoboth
2. Nelia Pineda
3. Abigail Parazo
4. Rubylene G. Pineda - Bamban
5. Caritas Tarlac Volunteers and Scholars
6. Prelli
7. Mildred G. Arciaga
8. Nerissa M. Guevarra
9. Victorian Mula Sa Puso
10. Humanity 4 Orphans
Finally, we’d like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our wonderful donors, volunteers, and supporters, whose unwavering commitment and generosity continues to bring about a profound and positive transformation in the lives of victims of trafficking and exploitation worldwide.
Your support fuels our tireless efforts to provide essential resources, rehabilitation programs, and a safe haven for those who have suffered unthinkable injustices. Thank you.